Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | June 10, 2020

Online seems to be the mantra this pandemic time. Offices have gone online with ‘work from home’ being the new normal. Fitness has also gone online, so have auditions. One such dynamite who has taken online as a challenge is sixteen-year-old Aishwarya Vinu Nair, a Grade XI student from the Indian High School, Dubai. Not only has Aishwarya cracked it at the online auditions of Miss Teen Diva but has also honed her skills at the Online Training Sessions with Cocoaberry Talent and Academy.

One look at her graceful walk and positive body language and you know Aishwarya is a winner. She has her eyes set on the glam world whilst being focussed on her academics, and she also knows that the road she is walking has it challenges. Born and brought up in UAE, Aishwarya belongs to the land known as the “Venice of the East”, Alappuzha, in God’s own country, Kerala. A Black Belt in Karate, she is also a professionally trained classical dancer (Bharathanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam and Folk Dance) and at the same time, enjoys other dance forms too.

Opening Doorz caught up with the multi-talented teenager from Dubai, who has already been a part of the Indian Fashion League.

Excerpts:

You are just 16 years old, what made you decide to venture into the glamour world?

It has always been my dream to be a part of India’s beauty pageants and I’ve always wanted to represent India internationally. I chose the pageantry world because I consider it to be a platform where I can acknowledge my skills, talent, beauty and confidence to the world.

Don’t you think it is too young now to focus on glamour, when you are setting out on your academic journey?

I believe it is simple to maintain a balanced life with both studies and pageantry if you have the right mentors and extremely supportive parents. I make sure I spend equal time for both activities. Training for pageants is also good for personal development. It helps you understand and learn more about yourself. I have never let any of my activities hinder my studies. So my academic journey continues.

Academically, what is it that you want to pursue?

Having a great affinity to Mother Nature, I want to pursue a career in Environmental Science as it would give me the opportunity to contribute to society and help clean the environment.

You have been selected to take part in the Miss Teen Diva; can you throw some light on it. How did it come about…

My Mom and I were searching for different teen pageants on Facebook when we came across Miss Teen Diva. Since I live in Dubai, I gave online auditions, wherein we had to fill a form with all our details and send a few our pictures. There were also a few questions mentioned in the form that were to be answered. For the next round, they asked for a ramp walk video and finally they had asked for an introduction video. Initially, the event was supposed to start on April 24, but later it was postponed to May 30 due to the circumstances. As of now we haven’t gotten further details of the pageant.

Based in Dubai, how do you propose to participate in various competitions,walk the ramp, etc. Are you planning to come to India/Mumbai or will continue in Dubai?

If I do well in the Miss Teen Diva pageant, I will definitely move to India and continue my studies and pageant training with Cocoaberry. This is a once in a lifetime achievement. If the conditions get better I will definitely shift to India. I plan on going abroad to the UK and for my graduation in Engineering, but if this is the situation, I could do my graduation in India and Masters in the UK.

How supportive are your parents in this choice of yours for the moment?

My parents have always supported me and my decisions. They always have had my back. My parents know what is best for me, and they respect my decisions. This has been my dream and my parents would not stop me from achieving it.

Alesia on Aishwarya: Her grace, poise, posture and dedication comes from her classical training in dance and is very visible. She reminds me of our current Miss Teen International Ayushi Dholakia. She also has curly hair and there is lots of resemblance in their personalities.

How did you hear about Cocoaberry?

A few months ago when my mom and I were searching for different pageant training institutes in India, we found Cocoaberry Talent and Academy on Facebook. They seemed to be very professional and experienced. After my Board Exams, I had planned on going to Cocoaberry for training, but due to the lockdown, I could not go. I did my training online.

Were you able to hone your ramp walking skills training online?

Being able to learn from the best in the country is itself an amazing opportunity. And most of all, Alesia Ma’am has been a wonderful mentor. I have been able to learn a lot from her and I can feel a change in the way I walk. I feel more confident and prepared now. All the sessions were very interesting and fun-filled. I got to revise my basics and learn new things. Sessions with Anjali Ma’am were very interactive and self-reflective. I was able to introspect deeper within myself and improve my personality. It has been a great learning experience and Cocoaberry definitely stays true to its motto, “Be You Worth It”.

Considering your confidence and abilities, if  you were to get an offer for Bollywood/South films, would you accept it at this moment in time?

Acting in movies is not written in everyone’s fate and there is no shortage of aspirants who want to enter this industry. But if I was offered a chance to be a part of a good movie, I would certainly accept it.

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